Jennifer Fredette, Ph.D.

fredette@ohio.edu

Ohio University, Athens

Country: United States (Ohio)

About Me:

Dr. Fredette teaches courses in public law and sociolegal studies at Ohio University. Broadly speaking, her research addresses citizenship, law and identity, legal consciousness, and legal mobilization. She specializes in contemporary French politics, particularly questions pertaining to Muslims in France and the French Overseas Departments of the Caribbean.Her book, Constructing Muslims in France: Elite Discourse, Public Identity, and the Politics of Citizenship (Temple University Press, 2014), explores the disconnect between how Muslims and French elites discuss citizenship, identity, and belonging. She has been published in Law and Social Inquiry and New Political Science.Dr. Fredette received her MA in political science (“What Not to Wear,” winner of the Stuart Scheingold Award for Best Public Law Paper) from the University of Washington and her BA in French and Political Science from the University of the Pacific. She spent Spring 2017 as a visiting researcher at the Université des Antilles (LC2S), where she conducted fieldwork as part of a project examining social movements, labor, and law in Martinique.

Research Interests

European Politics

Immigration & Citizenship

Race, Ethnicity and Politics

Latin American And Caribbean Politics

Islamophobia

Muslims In France

Reparations

French Caribbean

Countries of Interest

France

Martinique (French)

Guadeloupe (French)

Publications:

Books Written:

(2014) Constructing Muslims in France: Discourse, Public Identity, and the Politics of Citizenship, Temple University Press

The standing of French Muslims is undercut by a predominant and persistent elite public discourse that frames Muslims as failed and incomplete French citizens. This situation fosters the very separations, exclusions, and hierarchies it claims to deplore as Muslims face discrimination in education, housing, and employment. In Constructing Muslims in France, Jennifer Fredette provides a deft empirical analysis to show the political diversity and complicated identity politics of this relatively new population. She examines the public identity of French Muslims and evaluates images in popular media to show how stereotyped notions of racial and religious differences pervade French public discourse. While rights may be a sine qua non for fighting legal and political inequality, Fredette shows that additional tools such as media access are needed to combat social inequality, particularly when it comes in the form of unfavorable discursive frames and public disrespect. Presenting the conflicting views of French national identity, Fredette shows how Muslims strive to gain recognition of their diverse views and backgrounds and find full equality as French citizens.

Media Appearances:

TV Appearances:

(2016) Radio Canada, “Le Téléjournal with Céline Galipeau"

Guest expert

(2015) Al Jazeera America, “Inside Story with Ray Suarez”

Guest Panelist

Radio Appearances:

(2018) Radio Canada, "Midi Info à ICI Radio-Canada Première with Michel C. Auger"

Guest expert

Blog Posts:

(2016) The Washington Post's Monkey Cage Blog

“Nice now has a reputation as a breeding ground for terrorists.”

(2015) The Washington Post's Monkey Cage

“Six Months On, We are not All Charlie.”

(2015) The Washington Post's Monkey Cage Blog

“The Islamic State’s Attacks on Paris were Attacks on Muslims, Too.”

(2014) The Washington Post's Monkey Cage Blog

“Are French Muslims integrated? Depends what you mean by integration.”

(2014) The Washington Post's Monkey Cage Blog

“Are Muslims permanent foreigners in France?”